Home » The Project

WHY?

The importance

of alternative protein sources

for animal feed

According to the European Commission, 70% of proteins needed for animal feed in Europe are imported. This figure has been stable over the past 40 years and signals a persistent and current European protein deficit.

In addition, today the fish feed industry faces challenges as regards to the sustainable production and supply of main proteins sources used to formulate fish feed (fish meal and soy):

Fishmeal production has been stable for more than 40 years while aquaculture market grows year over year, creating pressure on fish meal prices.
Soybean production is a contributor to deforestation in production areas and can only be used in limited amounts in fish feed due to anti-nutritional factors.

70% of proteins needed for animal feed in Europe are imported

Therefore, there is a real need of proposing disruptive and more sustainable animal feed and protein solutions to the fish feed market to address the protein gap and secure aquaculture growth.
The opportunity exploited in SYLFEED is to look at a more sustainable raw material source to produce protein for feed: Lignocellulose (non-food biomass from wood).

HOW?

Objectives

Demonstrate the scale-up of Arbiom’s technology to convert wood residues into protein-rich feed ingredient to prepare for industrial scale-up.
Formulate protein-rich fish feed incorporating SCP and validate its nutritional properties in vivo.
Demonstrate the commercial viability of the product: market potential, price level, offer and demand
Complete Life Cycle Analysis to demonstrate the environmental benefits of this SCP )
Maximise the contribution of the project results to sustainable economic and job growth: increasing revenues of biomass producers through diversification of their activities as well as securing jobs in pulp and paper industry.

Concept & Approach

SYLFEED creates a new value chain that bridge the gap between the wood industry and the fish feed industry.

To demonstrate the efficiency of this new value chain, SYLFEED integrates a consortium of 10 partners and leverage their expertise in Wood sourcing, scaling-up of fractionation and bioconversion technologies, and fish feed manufacturing and testing.